Monnett Moni

The Monnett Moni is a sport aircraft developed in the United States in the early 1980s and marketed for homebuilding.

Designed by John Monnett, who coined the term "Air Recreation Vehicle" to describe it,^[1] it was a single-seat motorglider with a low, cantilever wing and a V-tail. Construction was of metal throughout, and it was intended to be easy and inexpensive to build and fly. Like many sailplanes, the main undercarriage was a single monowheel, which in this case was mounted in a streamlined fairing beneath the fuselage and was not retractable, with a steerable tailwheel behind it. Builders were also given the option of constructing their example with fixed tricycle undercarriage.^[2] Power was provided by a small two-cylinder, horizontally opposed, air-cooled engine.

Monnett Moni at Udvar Hazy Center

Examples of the Moni are on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the National Air and Space Museum,^[3] and the EAA AirVenture Museum.^[4]

Specifications (with tricycle gear)

Data from ^[2]

General characteristics

• Crew: One pilot
• Length: 14 ft 8 in (4.46 m)
• Wingspan: 27 ft 6 in (8.38 m)
• Height: 3 ft 6 in (1.07 m)
• Wing area: 75 ft² (7.0 m²)
• Empty weight: 260 lb (118 kg)
• Gross weight: 500 lb (227 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × IAME KFM 107, 30 hp (22 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 120 mph (193 km/h)
• Cruise speed: 110 mph (177 km/h)
• Range: 320 miles (515 km)
• Service ceiling: 12,500 ft (3,810 m)
• Maximum glide ratio: 20
• Rate of climb: 500 ft/min (2.5 m/s)
• Rate of sink: 167 ft/min (0.85 m/s)

Notes

References

• Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1984-85. London: Jane's Publishing.